Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) has come under scrutiny from many countries due to concerns around data privacy and access by minors. Recently, Italy banned the AI chatbot, ChatGPT, raising fresh discussions on countries’ broader national strategies for artificial intelligence. This includes the question of which other countries are regulating AI and chatbots.
India and its AI Strategy
In India, NITI Aayog, a policy think tank, has issued guiding documents on AI such as the National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence and the Responsible AI for All report. The key focal points of these reports include social and economic inclusion, innovation, and trustworthiness.
The European Union’s Proposed Legislation
As for the European Union, a proposed legislation called the European AI Act aims to introduce a common regulatory framework for AI. Working in conjunction with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the AI Act classifies different AI tools based on their perceived risk level. It also imposes varying obligations and transparency requirements, potentially including ChatGPT under the General Purpose AI Systems category.
The United Kingdom’s Light-Touch Approach
The United Kingdom has adopted a more hands-off approach, requesting that regulators across sectors apply existing regulations to AI. A white paper published by the country outlines five principles for companies to follow: safety, security and robustness; transparency and explainability; fairness; accountability and governance; and contestability and redress.
China and OpenAI
Although China hasn’t officially blocked ChatGPT, the company behind the chatbot, OpenAI, restricts user sign-ups in the country. These restrictions also apply to countries with heavy internet censorship, including Russia, North Korea, Egypt, Iran, Ukraine, among others.
Concerns Surrounding AI Software and Chatbots
Despite their potential benefits, AI software and chatbots have also raised several concerns. One issue is privacy, as training AI models necessitates access to ample amounts of data, including potentially personal and sensitive information. This could be used unethically for targeted advertising or political manipulation.
Another concern lies in the responsibility for AI-generated content. With AI models capable of creating new images, audios, or texts, the question of who is accountable for potentially malicious generated content becomes complex.
The third main concern revolves around automation and the potential for job displacement. As AI has potential to automate many work processes, ethical questions about job displacement and societal impact arise.
Note on US Regulation
It is important to mention that while various countries have taken active measures to regulate AI and chatbots, the United States still lacks comprehensive federal legislation on this matter.
While these issues remain under discussion, it’s clear that regulations are imperative to ensure the responsible and ethical use of AI models. The quality of these AI models often relies heavily on the ethicality and non-biased nature of their training data. Hence, it is pivotal to collate and utilize this data in a manner that respects privacy and refrains from fortifying existing biases.